UT, Big 12 to welcome West Virginia this year

CHRONICLE NEWS SERVICES

Updated 12:24 am, Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Knowing at last it will have 10 members this fall, the Big 12 released its football schedule Tuesday. Ending the delay was West Virginia's announcement that it reached a deal to leave the Big East and join the Big 12 in time for the 2012 season.

The schedule highlights for Texas: a grueling four-week start to conference play, a new Thanksgiving weekend opponent and a finale in a historically unfriendly location.

West Virginia and TCU, the Big 12's other new member, will play in Austin this fall, with the Mountaineers visiting on Oct. 26 and the Horned Frogs set for a Thanksgiving weekend matchup. The TCU game is currently set for Nov. 24, a Saturday, but could be moved up to that Thursday or Friday for TV purposes.

The Longhorns' first four Big 12 games come without an off week and are against opponents (Oklahoma State, WVU, Oklahoma and Baylor) that finished in the Top 20 last season. Texas closes with a trip to Kansas State, where it hasn't won since 2002.

Baylor's first two Big 12 games will be against the league's newcomers, who are replacing Southeastern Conference-bound Texas A&M and Missouri. The Bears will travel to Morgantown, W.Va., on Sept. 29 to play West Virginia, then host TCU on Oct. 13.

That game with Baylor will be the first Big 12 home date for the Horned Frogs, late of the Mountain West. TCU's debut in Big 12 play comes Sept. 15 at Kansas.

Also noteworthy in this year's schedule is that for the third time in four years, Baylor and Texas Tech will play at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. That game is Nov. 24.

Exit price: $20 million

Big East bylaws require a departing school to give notification 27 months before leaving, but West Virginia challenged that in a lawsuit. In the settlement announced Tuesday, the Big East Board of Directors voted to terminate WVU's membership, effective June 30.

The conference did not announce other details of the settlement, but the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail reported the Big East will receive $20 million. WVU will pay $11 million - $10 million to the Big East and $1 million to the Big 12. The Big 12 will pay $10 million to the Big East on West Virginia's behalf.

Of the $10 million the Big 12 is providing for its newest member, half of that will be a grant to WVU that will not need to be repaid, according to the Daily Mail. The other $5 million is in the form of a loan. WVU will repay that loan at the rate of $1 million annually from its Big 12 revenue sharing from telecast contracts. So rather than receiving an estimated $19 annually starting in 2015 (when WVU will be at a 100 percent revenue sharing level after three years of reduced payments), WVU will take $18 million.

'Open' on Syracuse, Pitt

In another development, Big East commissioner John Marinatto said his league "might be open to a discussion" about allowing Syracuse and Pittsburgh to join the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2013 football season. Marinatto had previously said the Big East intended to hold those schools (and West Virginia) in the conference until 2014.

Syracuse, Pitt and the ACC have said they would not challenge the Big East's rules but would like the transition to happen as soon as possible.

"Given the strength and speed of our expansion efforts, I think our board might be open to a discussion about 2013," Marinatto said.

Even without Syracuse and Pitt, the Big East could have 11 football teams in 2013. Houston, SMU, Memphis and Central Florida - presently in Conference USA - are set to join the league in 2013 for all sports. Boise State and San Diego State from the Mountain West are slated to join as football-only members in 2013. Navy is scheduled to join in 2015 for just football.

The Big East currently has seven members for next season: Pitt, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida. Marinatto said it's possible one of the schools pledged to join in 2013 could enter the league early to replace West Virginia, though he declined to say which one.